Trolley



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1. J. E. WELLS TROLLEY.

Patented Apr. 26, 1898.

INVENTOR 3ame$EWelL$ ATTORNEYS.

Mr cums PEYERS co. PwOTO'LIYKQA wnmuomm m o.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J E. WELLS. TR'OLLEY.

No. 602,923. Patented Apr. 26,1898.

----- INVENTOR WITNESSES: El 3I1me$ MW-WGM, W BY W a. 1M

ATTORN EYS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. E. WELLS. TROLLEY.

(No Model.)

No. 602,923. Patented Apr. 26,1898.

HHII

1' HH I I II N 33mm! EMHW.

alullill A WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCE.

JAMES EDXVIN ELLS, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 602,923, dated Apri126, 18Q8.

Application filed May 1,1897. Serial No. 634,691 (No model.)

To all whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES EDWIN WELLs, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Trolleys, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to trolleys or traveling contacts for conducting the current from a conductorin any kind of a system,whether a single track with a single conductor or a double track with a single or double conductor.

My object is to produce a trolley with a rolling contact or wheel journaled in a suitable frame mounted with a rocking joint upon a trolley-arm, means being provided whereby said frame is rocked by the swing of said arm, so that said frame and contact always hear the same relation to the conductor, said frame rocking or vibrating with every change of position of the trolley-arm, so that the conductor cannot strike the frame. For use with a double track and a single conductor to operate cars moving in opposite directions said frame can be rigid upon said arm or mounted to rock thereon, but is provided on one side with a grooved track extending over the archin g upper edge longitudinal thereto and with a rigid flange projecting downward and extending from one end of the lower edge of the other side to the other end, whereby when two trolleys moving in opposite directions upon the single conductor meet the flange on one frame will enter the groove on the other, depress one contact to pass through under the other, and guide it back into rengagement with the conductor as said contact-frames separate. The sides of this framearch vertically in both directions and are connected at their ends by tapered wedging or V- shaped cross-bars. For use upon a single-track road with turnouts the groove and flange can be omitted, as also when there are two conductors for a double track. In either construction all parts of the frame are rigid, andin either case fenders can be connected to the frame, which will cause the trolley to pass under the guy-wires without damage to them when the contact becomes accidentally disconnected from the conductor.

It is constructed as follows, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,in which Figure l is a side elevation of my trolley, contact-frame, wire, trolley-arm, and equal izer connected together as in use. Fig. 2 is a top plan thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan showing a fender connected to the trolley-arm. Fig. 4 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a single conductor and two contacts passing each other when moving in opposite directions. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of Fig. 5 on the dot-ted line. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail showing the points of two contact-frames meeting, one yielding downward to pass through under the other. Fig. Sis an elevation of part of a car, a lateral trolley, its arm, and uprights or stops to prevent the arm from swinging beyond a fixed position. Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of two cars moving in opposite directions, their trolleys being in the act of passing, as in Fig. 5, on a single conductor.

A B represent two cars moving in opposite directions upon parallel tracks 2 3 at the time of passing, each having a contact-frame 4 5 upon a trolley-arm 6 to collect electricity in the usual way from a single conductor 7, said conductor being between the tracks and said arms projecting laterally beyond the side of each car.

In Fig. 1 the trolley-arm is shown as standing in direct line with the car, as ordinarily used with a separate conductor for each car in a double-track system or with a single conductor in a single-track system, the lateral trolley being used with a single conductor in a double-track system.

Each contact a is suitably journaled in a frame comprising sides 8 9, connected front and rear by tapered wedging or V-shaped cross-bars 10, which operate as pilots when two frames meet, as shown in Fig. 7 to guide one into position to pass through under the other. The upper and lower edges of said frame sides arch in opposite directions, the upper edge of the side 8 being provided with a groove 11 from one end to the other, widened out, as at 12, and having a lip 13. The lower edge of the side 9 extends downward as a flange 14: below the central cross-bar 15. In Figs'l and 2 this frame is shown as pivoted,

hinged, or otherwise mounted, so as to rock upon the trolley-arm 6, which is mounted upon a pivot 17 in a support or carrier 18, swiveled in any suitable manner upon the deck of the car, having a stud 19 (dotted lines) engaging with aspring 20, carried by a bar 21 upon said support and operating to hold said contact against the conductor. The bar 21 is also provided with an extension 22, and 23 is a rod connecting it to the forward end of the contact-frame. The trolley-arm and said rod are unequal in length, so that when said arm moves vertically said rod will swing said contact-frame upon its pivot accordingly, said bar 21 and its extension 22 remaining stationary, whereby the presentation of the contact to the conductor is always the same and the conductor cannot strike against the cross-bars or pilots of the frame.

A fender 24 in Fig. 1 is secured to the frame, and the rock-lever is connected to that.

In Fig. 5 the frame is shown as rigidly connected to the trolley-arm, but the rod connection in Fig. 1 is rigid so long as the trolley-arm remains in one position.

In either construction the trolleys pass each other upon a single conductor for a double track in precisely the same way. Their pilots meet, one is deflected under the other, the nose of the flange on the upper one enters the mouth of the groove upon the under one, the frames slide over each other, one contact being thereby removed from the conductor and maintained in position to be guided back into reengagement therewith as said trolleys or frames separate.

In Fig. 8 the stops 25 hold the trolley-arm in proper lateral projection.

A suitable cord 26 is connected to the trolley-arm for operating it.

Having described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In an electric trolley, a contact-frame comprising sides arching in opposite directions, cross-bars connecting them, one side having a longitudinal groove in its upper face or edge, and the other having a rigid longitudinal flange, and a rolling contact mounted between said sides, combined with a suitable I trolley-arm upon which said frame is mounted.

below said plane, a contact mounted between said sides, and a rod connecting one end of said frame to said base-arm, whereby any vertical movement of said pole will not shift said frame out of a horizontal position although shifted vertically.

3. In an electric trolley, the combination with a base provided with an arm, a trolleypole mounted upon said base, a contact-frame mounted to swing upon said pole, a contact in said frame, a fender upon one end of said frame, and a rod flexibly connecting one end of said fender to said base-arm whereby any vertical movement of said arm will swing said frame, fender and rod to keep said frame horizontal.

4. The combination with a single conductor and a double railway-track, of a pair of contact-frames carried by arms connected to cars moving in opposite directions, each comprising sides arched in opposite directions, one provided with a longitudinal groove and the other with a rigid flange and a contact mounted between said sides, whereby when two frames meet, while moving in opposite directions, the flange on one will enter the groove upon the other forcing one contact away from said conductor and guiding it into reengagement therewith when said frames separate.

5. The combination with a single conductor, of a pair of contacts each mounted in a frame comprising sides, one of which is provided with a groove widened at one end, and the other being provided with a rigid flange, whereby the nose of the flange on one will enter the mouth of the groove on the other, and guide one frame away from and back into reengagement with said conductor whereby said contact-frames moving in opposite directions meet and pass each other unassisted.

6. In an electric trolley, a contact-frame comprising rigid sides arching in opposite directions from -.a horizontal plane, beveled cross-bars in said plane connecting said sides and constituting pilots to guide either of two frames meeting from opposite directions into position to pass above or below the other by the engagement of the lower side of one frame, with the upper side of the other whereby the trolley-wheel of either is kept out of engagement with the frame of the other, during such passage.

In witness whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand this 24thday of April, 1897.

JAMES EDVIN WELLS.

In presence of O. W. SMITH, HOWARD P. DENISON. 

